Aims
This course aims to:
• provide techniques for sustained exploration of an artwork
• introduce you to terminology relating to the visual analysis of paintings
• equip you with techniques to actively engage with art which can be used beyond the confines
of the course
Content
This course introduces approaches for sustained and active looking aimed to enhance your museum and gallery visits. During the week, we will create a ‘toolkit’ for looking, discussing ways to create curiosity about paintings and to develop dialogues with works which will increase the time spent connecting with an artwork and will hone visual literacy. We will discuss observations and opinions as we look closely. Our focus will be figurative Western European paintings ranging from the 16th century to the present.
This course is not a traditional history of art course so our discussion of socio-historical context will be limited, which is not to negate its importance. The main objective in this short course is to develop approaches which will enable you to enjoy actively looking at paintings and to develop core skills in visual analysis. With this in mind, active looking and a willingness to participate in conversation is encouraged. As this course is concerned with looking slowly, only a small selection of works will be covered during the week.
There are outstanding paintings in Fitzwilliam Museum collection in central Cambridge and our final session will be in the museum. This will provide us with invaluable opportunities to see paintings ‘in the flesh’ and to apply some of the ideas discussed during the week.
Presentation of the course
The course will take place in a classroom setting using PowerPoint presentations to show a small selection of paintings and close-ups which we will discuss. You will be encouraged to contribute to classroom discussions by offering opinions and observations. The last day of the course involves a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum which is a short journey from the campus into the city centre.
Course sessions
The following session themes overlap but each session focuses on one in particular
1. Exploring the space of an artwork
This session considers some of the ways in which space is depicted within a painting. We will also discuss the actual space in which we find an artwork as well as the space we occupy when looking at art.
2. The art of experience
We will consider how experiencing paintings can involve other senses beyond sight and we will consider how imagination can increase connections with a painting and provide the potential for deeper exploration.
3. Mood and scene setting
How might mood be conveyed in an artwork? What elements might we look for which can help us to gauge the atmosphere or tone intended by a particular painting?
4. Re-presentations: body language
We will think specifically about the representation of body language and how we might construct questions and dialogues which facilitate a sustained engagement with an artwork.
5. Fitzwilliam visit
The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge houses outstanding works of art. Looking at a small selection of paintings in the collection, we will try out some of the techniques discussed during the course.
Learning outcomes
You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.
The learning outcomes for this course are:
• to apply tools for sustained looking at an artwork
• to employ terminology relating to the visual analysis of paintings
• to identify ways to create active engagement with art which can be used beyond the confines
of the course
